WA - Basotho Blanket

Enjoy your own Basotho blanket! It is both functional in it's warmth and beautiful in it's design.

Basotho blankets come in a range of symbolic patterns, with each design intended for a different event, ceremony or stage of life:

• Basts – fertility and wealth
• Moholobela – transition to manhood
• Motlotlehi – wedding preparation
• Serope – new childhood

The most famous of these is the Basts characterised by their distinctive corn cob design symbolising fertility and wealth. The design dates back to the 1930’s when it was created by a Mr Charles Hendry Robertson who owned a trading store in Leribe called Seanamarena meaning “to swear by the Chiefs.”

The Basotho blanket is still used extensively and are exclusively produced by Aranda Textile Mills in Randfontein, South Africa with the blessing of the Lesotho royal family. New designs are subject to approval from the Royal Family, ensuring that they maintain a strong identity and close connection to their roots.

Their combination of functional warmth and colourful character mean that they remain a popular choice for the Lesotho people. The pride in cultural identity is combined by their usefulness to maintain their ubiquity, and they are gaining international recognition for their vibrant design.